During peacetime, ships such as Naval assets, have been vulnerable to attack from small, fast vessels when the ships are in port. The USS Cole was vulnerable because the ship's captain could not differentiate between boats that were authorized to come along side and the terrorist vessel that exploded beside it.
Because of the USS Cole incident in Yemen and the threat of terrorism against naval assets, the Navy is searching for a viable solution to its problem. In the past, the Navy has tried to protect its assets by putting out buoys, logs, fenders or oil booms in the hopes of stopping these craft by creating a wall that would stop penetration into restricted areas. They have placed guard boats in the water to intercept approaching craft. In wartime, they have mined harbors in order to secure their vessels, but there is no system designed specifically to stop small boats from entering restricted areas.
Thus, a need still exists for a light weight, easily deployable barrier system for protecting a vessel.
There are several difficulties to overcome when designing such a barrier. The barrier itself must be portable so that it can be deployed from a ship when it is needed. It must be able to stop a vessel weighing 20,000 pounds moving at 80 feet per second. It must also be able to withstand the rigors of an ocean environment, such as strong tidal currents and swells.